Applying for housing benefit (Wohngeld)

Wohngeld is a state housing-cost subsidy for people with low income. It is available as a Mietzuschuss for tenants and as a Lastenzuschuss for owner-occupiers who live in their home themselves. 1345

Who needs this

• You may apply if your housing costs are not already covered by another social benefit such as Bürgergeld, Grundsicherung, Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt, or similar transfer payments that include housing costs. 235
• For Mietzuschuss, eligible people include tenants, subtenants, people in similar rental arrangements, and residents of a home, if they use the housing themselves. 123
• For Lastenzuschuss, eligible people include owner-occupiers who live in the property themselves. 13
• Wohngeld is based on household size, housing costs, and total household income. 2345

Step by step

1. Check first whether you may qualify with a Wohngeldrechner. Several official pages recommend this before applying. 245
2. Choose the application form. You can apply online, by paper form, and in Hamburg also via the Wohngeld App. 234
3. Submit the application to the zuständige Stelle at your place of residence. In Munich, the application must be filed at the Wohngeldstelle for your place of residence. 25
4. Send the required proof with the application. The authority may ask for more documents if needed. 35
5. If Wohngeld is granted, you receive a Bescheid. A new application is needed for continued payment after the approval period ends. 2345

Documents

• Application for Wohngeld as Mietzuschuss, online or on paper. For paper applications, you must sign the form yourself. 2
• ID documents in copy for all people living in the household. 2
• Proof of residence status; for EU citizens, a copy of the ID document is usually enough, and for third-country nationals a residence title such as Aufenthalts-Erlaubnis or Aufenthalts-Gestattung is needed. 2
• Lease agreement and, if applicable, later amendments or landlord letters. In Köln, for a first application you should provide copies of the relevant lease pages showing landlord, rent, size, start date, and signatures. 24
• Proof of rent payments, for example receipts or bank statements. Berlin asks for the last three months. 245
• Income proof for all household members, for example pay slips, pension notices, or benefit notices. 2345
• If relevant, additional proof such as disability status, care level, or deductions and allowances. 35

Cost and time

• There are no fees. 2345
• Processing time depends on how complete the application is and which documents are available. Hamburg says applications are processed as quickly as possible; Munich notes that current processing times are very long; Köln also says longer processing times are expected. 345

Deadlines

• In Berlin and Hamburg, Wohngeld is generally paid from the month of application if the requirements are met. Berlin also states that the application should be submitted no later than the last day of the month from which you want Wohngeld. 23
• In Berlin, Wohngeld is generally approved for 12 months. 2
• In Köln, a new application should be submitted around 2 months before the approval period ends. 4
• In Hamburg, the approval is generally valid for 12 months. 3
• In Munich, the approval period starts on the first day of the month of application and can last one to two years depending on income. 5

City by city

• Berlin: You can apply online or on paper. Berlin also notes that people with Hauptwohnsitz in Berlin must live there as their center of life, and that Wohngeld can be granted retroactively in some cases after a denied or withdrawn Bürgergeld or Grundsicherung application. 2
• Köln: You can apply online, by post, by fax, or by email. Köln lists public service points in Bürgeramt Lindenthal and Kalk Karree for dropping off documents and picking up forms. 4
• München: You can apply online or with a paper form. Munich’s page gives maximum recognized housing-cost amounts for 2025 and says that amounts above the cap do not affect the Wohngeld claim. 5